


Maybe This Time

by cassievalentine



Category: Castle
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1770709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassievalentine/pseuds/cassievalentine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nearly two years after Meredith cheated on him, fled to LA and served him with divorce papers, Richard Castle has settled into a functional routine with a 5 year old Alexis and her 18 month old brother Charlie. However, a chance meeting with one Detective Kate Beckett leaves him wondering if maybe this time things could be different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Richard Castle's marriage was falling apart and he knew it. In fact, he'd known that things were falling apart for a while now, but he'd been in denial about it, telling himself that the problems with the marriage were due to the time he and Meredith spent apart, that as soon as she started landing roles in New York again they'd be able to smooth things out.

Only Meredith didn't want to stay in New York. She was making a name for herself in LA, having landed a fairly steady stream of guest staring roles on a bunch of high rated sitcoms. She was making connections and friends and she had no real intention of ever returning to New York.

"You can write from anywhere, Rick," she told him, tossing her red hair over her shoulder as she studied him. As soon as she knew that she had his eye, she carefully crossed one leg over the other, making sure that her skirt inched just that much higher. He swallowed hard, he couldn't help it; she'd been gone for a long time and he was looking after an almost 3 year old who rarely remembered to knock before barging into a room.

"And you can work anywhere, Meredith," he countered. "Your resume is fantastic compared to when you last tried to work here, maybe you should try again. I can talk to my mother, see if she knows of anyone. . ." his wife cut him off, standing up quickly before walking over to him.

"I've made a name for myself in Los Angeles," she pointed out. "What impresses casting directors for a TV show is different from someone producing live theatre." The two stopped and stared at each other for a long moment before she finally broke the silence, muttering about why he had to send Alexis to pre-school today.

"I sent her because routine is important to Alexis," he pointed out. "I also sent her because she likes pre-school, she likes to learn, to play with her friends. She'll be home for lunch and a nap and then she's all yours." Meredith sent him one last look before she left his study, calling out to him that she was going out and would be back later.

* * *

Later that night, as Meredith sat in bed listening to Rick poke restlessly at his keyboard, her mind drifted back to earlier that afternoon, when Alexis had burst into the loft, wrapping herself first around Rick's legs and then Meredith's, all the while chattering on about how 3 of her classmates had gotten little brothers and sister over summer break and could she have one too? Meredith had blanched at the thought, but Rick had rescued the moment, telling the little girl that babies were something he and her mother would have to discuss, but they promised to let her know when they made up their mind. Satisfied, Alexis had followed Rick into the kitchen for lunch and when she woke up from her nap, all she was concerned about was playing with Meredith, so the woman had thought little more about babies and instead had focused on her daughter.

"You want another baby, don't you?" Rick jumped, startled to hear Meredith's voice right behind him. He quickly saved his document and closed the laptop, spinning his chair around to look at her.

"You know I do," he answered without question. He had always assumed that they'd have at least 2 kids, maybe more if he could talk her into the idea. He wanted Alexis to grow up with everything he didn't have; a stable home, both parents and a sibling or two. Raising Alexis alone 90 percent of the time while her mother was in LA was not part of the plan, not even in his wildest dreams. "But I also know that you don't," he said, hoping that his voice sounded as level to her as it did to him.

"Maybe you're right," she said suddenly as she glided closer to him and sat herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Maybe Alexis does need a playmate and maybe I should try my luck in New York again." Rick's brow furrowed slightly as he held on to his wife, confused about her sudden change of heart on the matter. He remembered the fighting they'd done when she found herself pregnant with Alexis. Meredith had spent three straight days yelling at him for forgetting the condom that one night when they were both more than a little drunk after a party his publishing company had thrown. She had also spend the months after Alexis' birth blaming him for how long it took her to get her body back.

"Seriously?" he finally asked, not really sure what else to say.

"Of course I'm serious, Richard!" she exclaimed with a giggle as she tightened her grip on him, pulling him close so she could kiss him. "I've been thinking about this for a while." He pointed out her reaction to Alexis' question earlier in the day and she brushed him off, offering excuses about surprises and shock that she would even ask such a thing. Meredith was quick to suggest that they start work on their new project immediately, but he put her off, asking that they give themselves a couple of days to settle into family life again. Reluctantly, Meredith agreed and Rick allowed her to pull him to bed with her. There was nothing wrong with practicing in the mean time. . .

* * *

Much like with Alexis, when they decided to finally try, they got pregnant the first month. Paula had shaken her head a little when Rick told her send out a press release and his mother had been less than enthusiastic when he'd told her there was another little Castle on the way.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Kiddo," Martha told him as she patted him on the arm before standing up from the small table they were sharing at a neighbourhood cafe. She kissed him on the cheek and gave him one more look before she slipped out of the cafe and Rick remembered why he hadn't said anything about this to his mother before hand. She didn't really like Meredith as a person and thought she was rather horrid mother, not that she had set the bar all that high herself. "I never abandoned you to work on the other side of the country," was one of her favourite arguments against Meredith.

He didn't really care though. He loved Meredith and loved Alexis and wanted them all to be happy and so far they were, at least he convinced himself that they were happy. He needed this family to work and Meredith seemed to really be on board this time, embracing the pregnancy, even flaunting it for the paparazzi. She was quickly becoming the mother he'd always hoped she'd be, the wife he'd always hoped for, and he was hard pressed to believe that it was all an act, having grown up with an actress.

He and Meredith had each done a lot of growing up since Alexis was born, Meredith had just needed to be out on her own to do hers.

* * *

Charles Dakota Castle came into the world on December 1st, his predicted due date, which pleased his mother, and amused his father, to no end. Alexis was ecstatic, content to sit anywhere and let her father pack as many pillows around her as he could, just so she could hold her brother and talk to him. Rick was never exactly sure what they talked about, but Charlie was more than content to sleep in his sister's arms as she talked to him about everything and nothing.

Meredith, on the other hand, was mostly glad that Charlie had come on time and not late like Alexis had been. She was also pleased to see that the Hollywood meal planner she'd been in touch with had been worth his salt. She had less that 15 pounds to take off after this pregnancy and she was sure she'd be back on stage or in front of a camera soon.

And she was back on stage within months of having Charlie. Meredith had managed to get a small role in a play that stayed on Broadway for 3 months before she was called back down to LA to work again.

"It's just a couple of pilots," she told Rick as she packed a bag, doing her best to ignore the look on his face as he cradled a nearly 5 month old Charlie against his shoulder. "Chances are they won't get picked up and I'll be back in a couple of weeks, but they could," he cut her off.

"Lead to other things, bigger things," he finished. It was the same story she'd told him when she had packed up and headed to LA when Alexis was tiny.

"All it takes it one good performance, Rick," she told him as she finished packing, doing up her suitcase before placing it and her coat by the door.

"Yeah," he agreed. "One good performance can change everything." He turned and left the room, holding his son a little tighter as he kicked himself for believing Meredith yet again.

* * *

Meredith was out and on a plane before the rest of the loft had even woken up. When Rick did roll out of bed and head to the kitchen, he found a note from Meredith tapped to the fridge, letting him know that she had managed to get an earlier flight so she had taken it. She loved them all though, and would call soon. Rick rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as he crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash before he started on breakfast. Meredith might be gone, but he still had 2 kids to keep track of, one of which needed to be at school in a couple of hours.

* * *

It didn't take long for the phone calls and emails from Meredith to start coming. They were full of all her news, about who she was working with and who had set her up to talk to who and just as he was starting to wonder if she was ever going to come back to New York, she was gushing to him over the phone about how she had landed a role in a film, about how this was her moment, her break, and that if the movie did well, she'd have her choice of roles. Rick had quickly felt his spirits lift when she told him that. This is what they had been waiting for, if she could get steady work as a movie actress, she'd have no real reason to stay in LA all the time unless she was filming. She could move back to New York except for when she had to film.

Only as filming began to wrap up and the promotion machine started, so did the gossip mill. And so did the rumours that Meredith Castle was playing house with her director in LA while he stayed home in New York and played Mr. Mom.

Part of him wasn't even surprised when he was served with divorce papers only days before Charlie's first birthday.

Charlie, being a year old, was rather oblivious to the whole event. Meredith had been gone for more of his short life than she'd been around, so he doesn't mind her absence but Alexis took it hard. No matter how many times Rick talked with her about things, the little girl just didn't understand. She was used to her mother being gone for work, but this was different, even if she wasn't exactly sure why. Alexis understood what a divorce was, even though she was only 4, it was hard to avoid a life experience like divorce when you were growing up in the upper echelon of New York society. Hell, Rick knew for a fact that a couple of her friends were already on their second step mother.

As the divorce dragged through the courts, Page Six and the other tabloids started to get desperate for a scoop. He and Meredith were being far to civil about the proceedings as far as they were concerned, especially when it came to the custody agreements, Meredith had agreed to sole custody without any fight at all and Rick couldn't help but think that she had finally done something right for their kids.

"Can't mommy just say she's sorry and then come home?" Alexis asked quietly one night as Richard tucked her in.

"I don't think there are enough sorry's to really fix this," he told her sadly as he sat on the edge of her bed. He'd never had any luck lying to the girl before and he honestly did not have the energy right now to start. "There are, however, more than enough sorry's for anything you or Charlie might do, okay?" The redhead thought about that for a moment before nodding her head and clutching Monkey Bunkey a little tighter. He made sure she was tucked in and kissed her on the forehead, offering her one more I love you and a good night before he slipped out of her room, leaving the door open a crack. Rick padded across the short hallway to look in on his son, pleased to see that the boy was dead to the world, sucking occasionally at the pacifier held tightly in his mouth. Satisfied, Richard headed downstairs to his study, flicking the baby monitor on as he sat in his chair and stared blankly at his laptop. Gina was harassing him about final edits and he'd been having a hard time making himself do them, his heart isn't really in it any more.

Truth be told, he'd lost interest in Derek Storm a while ago, but the divorce had just left him too raw to cover that fact up any more. If he hadn't been obligated to write one more book, he would have scrapped the last few chapters and put Storm, and himself, out of their misery. With a final groan, he finally pulled himself to his desk and opened the manuscript, pulling up the last few chapters so he could finish the edits, send it off and not think about it for a few months.

Because what he really needed was more time to stew about Meredith, the divorce, the kids, the gossip, the rumours, the tabloids, his mother's I Told You So's . . .

* * *

Kate Beckett sighed and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. Whoever had scheduled this 'speaking engagement' was a moron, as far as she was concerned. Who in their right mind scheduled anything down town just after lunch? It didn't really matter though, because she had been the one to pull the short straw and she was the one who was now stuck in traffic as she tried to make her way to one of the many private grammar schools in New York so that she could deliver the standard 'Always ask to see a badge first.' lecture to the newest crop of kindergartners. Kate had never understood why the NYPD didn't give this little lecture at the beginning of the school year, instead of the end of the year but it wasn't her place to question the decision.

She hoped she'd get lucky, that this class would actually know how to sit still for 5 minutes, unlike the last class she had been in. She had been suckered into giving this little talk her first year as a detective and it had been hell. The kids were all grumpy and over stimulated and unable to sit still for more than 10 seconds at a time. They also didn't care about what she had to say, they just wanted to see her gun.

Eventually though, she made it to the school, a Greendale Elementary, and felt no guilt about abusing her police power to park at the front of the school; the thought of having to try and find an actually parking space was just a little too much to deal with at the moment. Quickly, she ran a hand through her hair before sliding out of the car and heading in, making sure to stop at the main office to not only get directions, but to leave her service weapon there as well. She hated the idea of being without it while on duty, but there was no reason to keep it on her person, especially when she was going to be surrounded by small kids. As she found the right room, she allowed herself a moment to wrangle her patience before knocking on the door frame. It wasn't long before she was being welcomed into the room by a chorus of "Good afternoon Detective Beckett!" from the kids gathered on the rug in front of her. She was quick to offer them a smile before launching into the memorized speech about asking strangers to see a badge when they claim to be a police officer.

"How come you don't have to wear a uniform?" one of the boys called out from the back, interrupting her carefully memorized speech. Kate paused for a moment before explaining that some police jobs didn't need a uniform. It wasn't long after that that the speech was forgotten as more little hands shot up into the air to ask questions.

Kate wasn't surprised at all when the next question she was asked was about her gun. She also wasn't surprised at the groan of disappointment and sudden lack of interest when she told them she wasn't allowed to show it to them.

"If you don't have to wear a uniform, do you still get to drive a police car? And use the lights and sirens?" Kate turned towards the voice and saw that it was coming from a little slip of a girl with big blue eyes and bright red hair.

"I have an undercover car," she said, explaining that it looked just like any other car on the road. "Until I turn the lights and siren on," Kate finished with a small grin as the class came back to life, talking amongst themselves about the lights and sirens and comparing how many times they'd each seen a police car racing to a crime scene.

"Can we see it?" the girl asked again. The class immediately dropped into silence as 18 pairs of eyes landed on Kate while Kate shifted her gaze to the teacher.

"If Detective Beckett doesn't mind, yes, we can go out and look." The kids were soon pulling off their indoor shoes and jockeying for position to put on their outdoor shoes as the teacher spoke up again. "I also think that Alexis should lead the class, seeing as it was her idea to ask." There was some grumblings among the male population of the class, but the little red head, Alexis, just grinned a little as she calmly went about her business. As the group made their way out of the school, Kate looked down in surprise as she felt a little hand slip into hers.

"I'm Alexis," she said, when Kate looked down at her. "Can I turn the lights on?"

"You don't want to turn the siren on?" Beckett asked her, more than a little confused. Usually all she heard about after one of these things was how the kids ended up fighting over who would turn the siren on and off. Alexis shook her head before explaining that it was too loud, she wanted to play with the lights. Kate could only smile and swing their hands a little as they kept walking.

* * *

Rick leaned against the fence that ran around Greendale Elementary School, watching as Charlie toddled around in the grass, stooping down to poke at a bug or pick a flower every now and then. Rick watched as Charlie shifted his gaze from the ground to the side of the school.

"Come on Charlie," Rick called as he saw the group of kids heading their way. Charlie took one more look at the group before he turned around and headed back over to Rick, his arms stretched above his head. Rick bent quickly and swung Charlie up into his arms just in time to look back at the group. He easily picked out his daughter as she was the only red head in the class but he paused when he saw her holding the hand of a woman he didn't know. She was tall and dark haired with a pale complexion and a beautiful smile with a laugh to match. She had obviously just told some kind of joke that caused Alexis and several of her classmates burst out laughing at what ever it is she said.

"Daddy!" Alexis called as soon as she saw Richard and Charlie. She dropped the woman's hand and started to take off but her teacher called her back. He smiled at the light flush that appeared on Alexis' face at being scolded for forgetting the rules. It didn't stop her from shooting the pair a quick smile and a wave before she turned and headed back to the group, falling back into place beside the mystery woman. The teacher gathered the kids and soon a chorus of "Thank you, Detective Beckett!" was heard. As the woman, Beckett, offered the group a few parting words, Rick could feel his smile growing. There was just something so adorable about a chorus of tiny kids. He sobered up quickly when he realized that Becket was headed towards the gate while the class headed back into the building.

"Public service?" he asked her with a smile as she came closer, doing his best to check her out without getting caught at it.

"You could call it that," she said as she stopped in front of him, giving him a quick one over with a practiced eye before continuing. "We go around every now and then and remind them to ask to see a badge when someone claims they're an officer."

"Since you don't all wear uniforms," he finished for her with a nod. "Richard Castle," he said, juggling Charlie so he could offer her a hand. "Writer."

"I know," she said with a grin, not letting it slip that she owns all of his books, has read them all multiple times and has stood in line for over an hour at one of his book signings. "Kate Beckett," she said as she shook his hand, casting a glance at the toddler in his arms. "Detective," she added offering the little boy a small smile. He grinned at her before quickly turning his head into Castle's neck, peaking out at her every now and then, the grin still on his face until he caught sight of the sun glinting off of her badge.

"I know," he said, mimicking her. "This is Charlie," he said when the toddler let out a squawk when Castle didn't make any moves to help him secure the shiny item. "He doesn't say much yet, but he's working on it." Rick shifted the boy to his other arm, moving Charlie's attention from Beckett's badge to her face. Kate smiled at Charlie, shook his little hand, and the boy was instantly enamoured with her, especially when Kate took pity on both Rick and Charlie by unclipping her badge and holding out to Charlie. She smiled as the boy's eyes went wide for a moment before he snatched it from her hand and began to play with it. "You just made a friend for life," Rick told her with a smile that she couldn't help but return.

The pair ended up standing by the gate and talking about everything and nothing until one of the ladies in the main office rushed out to them, handing Beckett back her weapon. She blushed, embarrassed that she had forgotten it in the school. They both grinned sheepishly at each other as she slid the holster back into place. Rick was quick to make a few jokes, if only to see the woman smile again, but it wasn't long before Kate started making excuses to leave. While distracting Charlie so she could get her badge back, something in Richard clicked and before he could stop himself, h was asking for her number so he could give her a call sometime.

"Maybe we could get some coffee or something?" he suggested. The detective eyed him and Charlie for a long moment before thinking about the little red head she had just met and then something clicked. Before she could stop herself, she handed him her card, letting him know that the cell number was her personal cell. He accepted the card, keeping it away from grabby hands, as he assured her he'd call soon. They exchanged goodbyes one last time before she slipped past both he and Charlie on her way out of the school yard while he turned his attention back to picking his daughter out of the crowd of kids coming out of the building.

* * *

He spent the next day and a half thinking about the card Beckett had handed him, wondering if he should call, when he should call, until he couldn't stand it any more. Jumping up out of his chair, Rick quickly headed into his bedroom, riffling through the hamper until he found the jeans he'd been wearing. Frantically, he began going through the pockets until he finally pulled out the card. A minute later he was sliding back into the chair behind his desk as he dialed his cell phone. He swallowed hard as he listened to the phone ring, hoping that he hadn't waited too long to call. Just as he was worrying about not having waited long enough, she picked up.

"Detective Beckett? It's Richard Castle," he said when she answered. "We met the other day at my daughter's school?"

"I remember," she assured him. He's pretty sure he could hear her smiling on the other end of the call.

"Well, I was just wondering if you still wanted to get together for coffee?"

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Long time no see.

"You look tired." Kate looked up when she heard him speak and she couldn't help but smile. She had a job that was hard mentally, emotionally and physically and some days just wore her down. When they had first started meeting up for coffee, she'd cancel on him when she felt like she did now, but after he had shown up looking exhausted and beaten down, she had stopped trying to hide it.

"Long, long, long case," she said with a sigh, giving him no more information as he placed their coffee's and a small plate of baked goods on the table. She wasn't quite sure how, but somehow in the last 3 weeks, Rick had figured out that her eating habits left something to be desired so he took it upon himself to feed her something every time they met up. Kate was still hazy as to how a cookie was any better than a bear claw, but it made him happy so she just went along with things. "I am more than glad it's over."

"Aren't you always glad when a case is done?" he asked her as he pulled his mug towards him, wrapping his hands around it. Hot coffee in July might not be the best idea, but it was theirs.

"Not always," she replied as she pulled her own mug over. Just because a case was over didn't mean there had been a happy ending. She had ended up sending a 6 year old girl into the foster care system after arresting her father for killing her mother while the girl was at school. Rick studied her for a moment, trying to decide if he should push for more, but when he caught sight of the sad, haunted look in Kate's eyes, he decided to leave her be. Castle hadn't learned a whole lot about Kate Beckett over the last three weeks. She kept a lot to herself and while he was usually very, very good at reading people, he was having a hell of a time reading her. He knew part of it was that she was a cop and had learned to school her features accordingly but part of it was also because she didn't really tell him anything of consequence. He had opened up to her a few times, told her a few stories and fears he held that he had yet to share with anyone else in the hopes that shed reciprocate, but she hadn't. She'd listened carefully to him before doing her best to offer comfort or understanding or whatever it was he needed in that moment.

"You have a lot of secrets, don't you?" he blurted out, his curiosity getting ahead of his brain. Kate paused, her brow furrowing and her eyes narrowing slightly as her mug hovered between the table and her mouth. "I mean, uh," he fumbled for a minute as he tried to figure out how to reword that statement without making the hole he was in any bigger. "Private," he finally blurted out. "You're very private."

"Not all of us want to live our lives on Page Six," she commented. She offered a quick apology when she saw the hurt look on his face. She had regretted her statement as soon as it had left her mouth but she was tired and punchy and he'd set her on edge with his line about keeping secrets. "Cop habit, I guess," she explained. "You learn to play everything close to the vest so the suspects don't catch on."

"That's not all it is though, is it?" he asked, leaning on the table so he was closer to her. "It's not just because you're a cop, is it?" Kate put her mug down and sat back in her chair, putting as much space between them as she could. This was a conversation she didn't have. With anyone. Let alone someone she'd only known for a few weeks. Rick watched her for a long time, not moving from his position almost afraid that he'd spook her and she'd run if he did. "Kate?" he prompted.

"I should go," she finally said, pushing her mug away and reaching for her bag.

"Kate," he said, reaching out quickly and grabbing her arm, stopping her from getting up from the table and leaving the cafe. She shook her head but didn't try to get her arm away from him.

"I shouldn't have come tonight," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm wrung out and my temper is short and I'm not good company," she told him quickly. "I should go," she said again, making a minimal effort to pull free from his grasp.

"Call me tomorrow," he told her. "You'll be in a better mood and I'll be less nosy." They looked at each other for a long moment before she finally nodded and he let her go. She slipped silently and swiftly through the crowd, weaving between the people in the shop and on the street outside with the grace only a born and bred New Yorker seemed to have.

* * *

"You're back early," Martha commented as she looked up from the lines she was working on to see her son slipping back into the loft.

"Yeah," was his reply, giving her nothing more as he toed off his shoes and headed to the fridge, finding something to drink before moving to sit at the table with her. "I overstepped," he finally said and Martha couldn't help but give him a sympathetic look before patting the back of his hand. "She makes it so damned hard to get to know her," he said, his frustrations of the last few weeks spilling out. "She's lively and animated when she asking questions, but as soon as I ask the wrong question, she just shuts down. She gets this look in her eyes and then she either makes an excuse to leave or changes the subject."

"Not every girl will answer every question you ask her," his mother pointed out. "You have been surrounded by a parade of beautiful women who are easily won over by your wit, charm and good looks and I hate to tell you this kiddo, but I don't think this Kate Beckett is one of them. I don't think she'll ever be one of them."

"I don't want her to be one of them," he said quickly, trying to keep the frustrated anger out of his voice. "I just want to have a conversation with her without walking into a damn mine field." He slammed his juice box down on the table with more force than necessary as he allowed himself a moment to pout. "I'm going to go and write," he finally muttered, leaving the juice box on the table as he pulled away from his mother's grasp and headed to the study.

He sat heavily in his chair and went through the motions of starting up his lap top and pulling up a fresh, clean word document, but he didn't know what to write. Derek Storm wasn't even in contention, nor did he feel like adding to the folder of stories he wrote for Alexis and Charlie. He stared at the blinking cursor for a long while, letting his mind wander and he was not at all surprised when his thoughts strayed to one Detective Kate Beckett. He let his mind go where it would, analyzing the memories of past conversations it dredged up, trying to find a pattern for the issues she didn't discuss, but was unable to find a pattern that would help him avoid another night like this one in the future.

"Darling, Kate Beckett is not the type of woman you're used to dealing with." He looked up to see his mother in the doorway of his office, her papers tucked neatly into a folder under her arm. "From what you've told me, she is smart, strong and fiercely independent, she's not like Meredith or Kyra or any of the other women you usually spend time with and you need to realize that."

"I am well aware of that, Mother," he replied.

"I'm sure you are. All I'm saying is that you are not going to be able to go about things as you traditionally do with the Detective. She's not going to make you her confessor if you push. If anything, she's going to run further." Rick swallowed hard as he considered his mother's words and ran his past coffee meetings through that context and he was slightly horrified to discover that his mother was right. Every time he pushed her, tried to get her to open up to him, she pulled back. When he got to close Kate changed the subject, or left the cafe, left him. With that in mind, he offered his mother a somewhat distracted goodbye and thank you for sitting with the kids before he turned his full attention back to the matter of Kate Beckett and getting her to open up to him, even just a little.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Kate blurted out as soon as she heard Rick's voice on the other end of the phone. She had tossed and turned all night, trying to work out why she acted the way she did around Rick, why she kept herself more closed off that usual but she hadn't been able to come up with a solid answer. "I just. . . I don't know. I'm sorry," she said again, tucking herself into the corner of her couch.

"I'm sorry too," he replied and Kate tensed, fearing the worse. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that, especially since I knew what kind of day you'd had." They both fell silent and let their apologies hang in the air as they each tried to decide what to say next.

"I don't mean to make it so hard," she finally admitted, so quietly he almost missed it. "I really don't. You're my friend, at least I hope you're still my friend, and I want to tell you things but I just can't do it," she explained. She knew that was the lamest, vaguest explanation ever, but it was all she had at the moment. She held her breath as she waited for him to say something, hoping that he'd understand, that he'd still want to be her friend after all this so when he finally replied, telling her he understood, but he didn't, she couldn't help but smile.

"You don't have to give me everything, Kate," he told her calmly. "I don't need your deepest secrets, but I need, I want, something more than your favourite colour and your lucky number."

"My birthday is November 17th," she suddenly heard herself saying. "I'm an only child, my mother was a lawyer and my dad still is. I wanted to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at one point but, then again, I also wanted to just throw some things in a bag and ride my motorcycle around the country, picking up odd jobs for cash as I went. I hate oatmeal, love mashed potatoes and if I could have dinner with someone famous, dead of alive, I'd pick Rosa Parks because I am dying to know why she chose that particular day to take a stand," she finished, finally taking a breath as she waited for his response. "Rick?" she asked after what felt like ages and he hadn't replied yet.

"Thank you," he said after a moment and couldn't help but chuckle a little when he heard her let out a breath she had been holding. It wasn't long after all this that they launched into the same kind of conversation they usually had in the cafe, discussion about books, TV and movies before he began quizzing her about her job and she began doing the same to him. Side conversations about the minutia of daily life took place in between the other topics until he finally had to go. Charlie had grown frustrated with his blocks and Alexis would be home from her friends house soon.

"So, 6:30 on Tuesday?" she asked, making sure they were still on for their regular meeting.

"I'll buy the coffee," he assured her before they finally hung up.

* * *

"So," Lanie said, closing the exam file she was holding as she turned to face Kate. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" Kate looked up from her own notes to stare at the ME.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. Lanie gave a sigh before she answered.

"I'm talking about what's got the boys all up in arms." Kate's furrowed brow deepened as Lanie explained the story to her. Ryan and Esposito had come down to interrogate Lanie about Kate's strange behaviour. "I'm assuming you've gotten yourself a secret boyfriend, so spill."

"I don't have a secret boyfriend," she said with a laugh. It was Lanie's turn to frown as she sent Kate a look. With a sigh and an eyeroll, Kate explained about Rick. She leaned against one of the autopsy table once she was done talking and waited for Lanie to throw in her two cents.

"You, Kate Beckett, have been having coffee at least once every couple of days for the last 6 weeks with Richard Castle," The ME finally got out. Kate nodded slowly. "And no one knows?"

"You know," Beckett said, offering Lanie a small shrug. Lanie started to slowly shake her head, her eyes never leaving Kate. Beckett couldn't really do any more that try and play innocent. She knew she had been holding out on her best friend by not telling her about Rick and she also knew that she couldn't explain why she had, especially since Lanie was usually the first person she called after a date. Maybe she'd held off because she didn't think they'd go out more than once?

Kate couldn't figure out why she had been so sure it would be a one time thing, especially after she had gotten home from their first meeting. She'd had a really, really good time. He was charming, sure, and pretty to look at, but he was also interesting to listen to. The man was an excellent conversationalist with a very sharp wit.

Kate couldn't help but think that her mother would have liked him. She banished that particular thought as quickly as she could, hoping that she hadn't given any outward sign of her memories.

"Get out of my morgue," the ME finally said, pointing towards the door. "Ah! Out. And don't you come back until you have something juicey to tell me!" Lanie called out. As soon as Kate slipped out of the doors, Lanie sagged against the autopsy table, still shaking her head in disbelieve. Who in their right mind had coffee every couple of days with their favourite author and didn't tell anyone about it?

* * *

Even after 3 months, Castle and Beckett were still meeting up as often as they could for coffee. He had slowly been teasing more and more out of Kate until he was able to start writing a narrative about her in his head. He also took the time to study her mannerisms so he could try and learn her tells. Kate had a fantastic poker face but he had learned a few things about her that she would probably never explain to him. He wanted to know if she reached for where her weapon should be when she's startled because of training or something else, or why she always wears that long silver chain. He thinks there's a ring on and he'd love to know why she doesn't wear it on her finger. He's also dying to ask her about the man's watch she's always wearing. "So," he finally said. "Doesn't your boyfriend mind that you spend all this time with me?" Rick dropped his gaze to the nearly empty coffee mug in his hands. He hoped he asked casually enough so it didn't seem like he was picking.

"No boyfriend," Kate told him as she pushed her empty mug away, crossing her arms on the table in front of her before leaning on them. "Why do you ask?"

"Your watch," he said, nodding towards it. He watched as something flickered in her eyes and rippled over her face. It only took a fraction of a second, but he was sure he'd seen something. His hopes lifted slightly when he saw her pull her bottom lip between her teeth and start worrying at it. She only did this when she was having a serious internal debate.

"It's uh, it's my dad's," she finally said as she dropped her head to stare at it while she placed her other hand on top of it. She ran a finger around the silver casing before she wrapped her fingers lightly around the band and adjusted where it sat on her wrist.

"I'm sorry," he said as soon as he noticed the change in her demeanour. She fidgeted when she wanted out of a topic and she fidgeted the most when he tried to bring up her parents.

"My dad was having a rough time for a long while," she said, keeping the bulk of the details to herself. "He's doing good now, but I wear it to . . . I dunno," she finished, a small smile at the corners of her mouth. She knew exactly why she wore it, but he didn't need to know that.

"You know why," he told her softly as he reached out and put his hand over hers, stilling the nervous movements. "But you don't have to tell me, it's ok." She looked at their hands for a while before finally looking him in the eye again. "Alexis is turning 6 in a few weeks and she wants to invite her mother to the party," he told her, feeling the need to share something like she had. "And I can't bring myself to make the call. I'm terrified she's going to agree and then blow it off at the last minute."

"She wouldn't do that," Kate assured him. She couldn't think of any more who would do that to their kid, especially one that lived on the other side of the country. "Give up an excuse to come and see her kids?"

"She's done it before," he said with a shrug. "Alexis doesn't remember, but I do." She offered him a sympathetic smile and an apology as she moved her hand so she could hold on to his and give it a squeeze. "Charlie doesn't really remember her any more and I don't know how to fix that either," he let slip. She stayed quiet and kept a hold of his hand as he began to spill snippet after snippet about the kids and his ex and the complicated relationship they all had with each other. He stopped talking suddenly and focused his attention back on her before offering a quick apology for talking so much. "I don't even know why I told you all that," he finished with a wry smile.

"It's ok," she assured him before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she debated what to say next. "My dad's an alcoholic," she finally told him. "Was an alcoholic. He's been sober for 5 years." He looked her right in the eye and couldn't help but smile when he saw a faint blush spread over her cheeks.

"Can I take you out to dinner next week?" he asked suddenly. "Somewhere quiet. I know this great diner called Remy's, I think you'll like it." Kate leaned back from him a little and blinked. She honestly had no idea how to respond to this offer.

"Like, a date?" she finally asked. He nodded before he elaborated about how he wanted to pick her up and take her out to diner and then maybe even wander around New York if things went well.

"Just once," he finally said. "Come out with me once and if you don't want to do it again, we won't. We'll just go back to coffee." He watched her carefully as she tried to make up her mind.

"I might get called out in the middle," she finally said, part of her hoping that he'd change his mind. Then again, part of her was also hoping he wouldn't care that on call was different from a night off.

"I'll be disappointed, but I'll understand," he assured her. A comfortable silence fell over the pair for a moment. "Pick you up at 7?" he asked, hoping she'd finally answer and put him out of his misery.

"Yeah," she said, offering him small smile. "7 is good."

* * *

Rick and Kate ended up going to Remy's the next week and she didn't get called out. Things were a little awkward a first because they'd both suddenly realized that this dinner wasn't just dinner as friends but as the night went on, they relaxed and were soon snatching pickles and fries from each other's plates as they laughed and told stories.

He was fascinated by her stories about the precinct, about Ryan and Esposito and the things they got up to. He also had a good time ribbing her after he figured out that she was a fan of his books. She had blushed furiously at that and had tried to back track for a while before she started to make fun of him for stalking his own fansites. He'd tried to defend himself at first, but eventually he gave up and let her have her fun. He liked seeing her happy and he liked it even more when she was laughing, even if it was at his expense.

"Tonight was fun," he told her as he walked her up to her apartment later that evening.

"It was," she agreed. "You're not bad company, though maybe you should tuck your napkin in your collar next time," she snickered as she pointed to the ketchup on his shirt.

"Maybe next time you shouldn't throw your food!" he fired back as he gave her a nudge with his elbow. She stumbled a little as she chuckled before slowing down as they reached her apartment. "So this is you," he commented.

"This is me," she agreed as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at her door.

"I'll call you in a couple of days?"

"Sounds good," she said as they fell silent. Neither was really sure how to go about ending the night completely. Eventually she started to fish her keys out of her bag, if only to give her something to do.

"Kate?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him but before she could do anything else he'd pulled her close and was kissing her softly. Her eye lids fluttered for a minute before they slid closed and she simply enjoyed the moment while returning the kiss. "I'll call you," he assured her, his voice nothing more than a whisper when they had finally pulled apart.

"You better," she assured him as he finally stepped and headed back down the hallway. She watched him go for a minute, a small smile on her face, before she finally managed to pull her keys out and open her door.

* * *

 

Lanie groaned as she heard her phone go off. She was supposed to be off tonight and really didn't want to answer it but she couldn't help herself. She paused the movie she was watching as she reached over and grabbed her cell, only to grin a little when she saw it was a text from Kate Beckett, not a call to a crime scene.

_I think I'm dating Richard Castle_ was all it said.

 


End file.
